Off to the Climb

If I remember correctly, a platinum coin is worth a hundred gold coins, and this is a slab, so, ten platinum coins, the most valuable single unit of currency in this world.

I have no idea how much it's worth realistically, but it can't hurt to have it. I let it join my pouch of stolen coins.

I take out the sheets of paper underneath. They look to be documents of some kind. I quickly shuffle through, but there isn't anything important. They all are just records, except for one, which is a letter written out to the name You Eminence.

I don't have a clue what the content of the letter is about. Something along the lines of soldiers' rations, but through the financier's tone, I can tell that this boss he said he is working for is Cardinal Kenneth.

From how Tessa talked about him, I assumed that he isn't that great of a person, but knowing that such a scumbag works for him, I am beginning to feel the same.

"Good work, Lohikaarmi," I say.

"Thank you, Master. What should I do with the box?"

"Burn it with the documents and toss it into the pile of ash. I have no need for them," I say and hand her the contents.

"Yes, Master."

She blows fire onto the box and it becomes instantly ablaze. Lohikaarmi then throws it at the remains of the financier's carriage.

"Good. Let's head back."

…

We woke up early this morning and didn't do much before heading straight downstairs right after the break of dawn. The elf and the waiter treated us to a nice breakfast. They said that they got together after last night, which I thought to be some really hasty advancements, but I am no relationship expert, not that it matters anyway.

Faye was really happy for them, and Astra, being Astra, was nosing into their private business of what had exactly transpired in their room last night, which I promptly cut off.

The lady at the stable gave us a map of the highlands and three donkeys to ride. We are now just setting off.

"Astra, move forward a little. You are pressing your back way too much into my chest," I say.

Our donkeys are gaiting toward the mountains. Like we had planned, Lohikaarmi and Faye each got their own rides, and Astra and I are sharing one, which could be better. Since our donkey has the most load, we are moving behind the other two down the road up the grassy slope.

"What? Does having my skin pressed against yours make you all hot and bothered?" She says with a grin.

"You should thank God that… I have now come to realize that the phrase has become obsolete."

"What?"

"I was saying how you should be thankful that I was the person transported here, because there are a lot of people on Earth that wouldn't give a second thought before being invited into your teasing."

"Yeah, I know that," she says, "It's not like pedophilia doesn't exist in Terradivina."

"Then why are you acting like this?"

"You are a good man, Kris. I know you won't do anything, but, let's say that you did, I wouldn't mind indulging in some carnal desires."

I should be sinned for listening to this.

"Could you not have chosen to be incarnated as anything other than a ten-year-old?" I ask.

"What, would you succumb to my teasing if I was older?"

"Not a chance."

"Yeah, I thought so, or Lohikaarmi wouldn't be the Dragon Queen anymore."

Huh?

"What the fuck does that mean?"

"Does it not take brains to become rich in your world?" Astra retorts.

"You'd be surprised."

"In all seriousness, though," Astra says, "Traveling with you has been the most fun I've had in millenniums, even if I was forced to do this by your stupid bomb."

Well, fun doesn't sound like it should be the priority of a deity.

"I would assume living in Heaven is the greatest thing," I say.

"It is, but I don't get to live in Heaven. The souls do. I have to watch over the world and manage this, manage that. There's no work-life balance, you know?"

"What the hell is the life in the work-life balance of a God? Isn't your work your life? Also, where did you pick up these phrases that could no way exist in this world?" I ask.

"I don't know. When you invaded my domain, I guess some information leaked from your side."

I have no idea what that means, but I also don't care enough to find out.

In front of us is a long winding road that crawls up the side of a mountain. It's going to take a long time, and I don't have the energy to carry on this back and forth between me and Astra.

The town is getting lower and smaller behind us as we ascend the highlands. I can see a dot kneeling on the ground beside the burnt carriage. I suppose the financier has received our gift.

"Oh, yeah, Astra. How does the ranking in the Church work in Terradivina?" I ask.

"Ranking? Of positions?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it's a bit more complicated than just a simple list, because it depends on which church the person works at, but to boil it down, it goes: Her Holiness the Pope, which there is only one of. Then Their Eminence the Cardinal, which there are two of. Then Their Grace the Archbishop, Their Excellency the Bishop, the high priests and priestesses, the priests and priestesses, the nuns, the deacons, and the laity, which is just the general population."

It seems to work almost the same way as the Holy Roman Empire did, except that I don't recall any of the higher positions being taken by women. I guess it makes sense for Terradivina to be a matriarchy since the higher power they worship is a Goddess.

"So, do you know anything about the current cardinal, His Excellency Kenneth?"

"You don't need to use formal addresses with me. It's like not out of everything you do, that's what's going to offend me enough to place a sin on your head. Not that I have the power to do it anyway."

I completely forgot that offending Astra might not mean good things for me after she gains her powers back.

"Um… Alright."

"But yeah, I know a little about him. Why?"

"Tessa said that he is currently the only cardinal, right? I just want to know what kind of person he is."

"Then I can't tell you that. I don't know what kind of person someone is until their death."

"Just tell me something about him."

Astra looks up at the sky and thinks for a moment.

"Hmm, let's see…" she says, "I remember his father was an Archbishop who owned the town of Weston, so I believe his full name is Kenneth van Weston. He moved to the Holy Capital in his youth and used his father's connections to climb the ranks within the Grand Cathedral. Other than that, I think he is a pretty smart guy."

"That's it?"

"Yeah, that's it."